Sure-Draw Momentary Glock Safety

In my experience, people’s attitudes towards gun safeties depends on who taught them to shoot. One of my earliest memories of shooting is being told that external safeties cannot be relied upon. Consequently, I don’t use them very often (preferring muzzle control and trigger finder control instead).

Folks from the military, where the use of a safety is emphasized, frequently have the opposite opinion to me. Back when the Glock was introduced many law enforcement agencies switched to the safety-less Glock. Recently I have noticed that many departments are switching away from Glocks to polymer pistols, such as the S&W M&P, that do have external safeties (and don’t require pulling the trigger to disassemble). Glock does make a pistol with an external safety, the Glock 17S, but it is not available to the general public.

A company called SureDraw has produced a “momentary” Glock safety. The safety device replaces the Slide Cover Plate at the rear of the slide. It consists of a button that activates the safety only when it is depressed. Unless the operator is actively pushing the button, the safety is disengaged. This means it does not compromise the “always-ready” feature of external-safety-less pistols. The below diagram demonstrates …

Founder and Dictator-In-Chief of TFB. A passionate gun owner, a shooting enthusiast and totally tacti-uncool. Favorite first date location: any gun range. Steve can be contacted here.

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David Sharpe

Meh, not needed, I don’t normally use safeties on my guns anyways.

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/ Phil W “Senior Writer TFB”

Say what!

David Sharpe

Like the writer, I prefer to use trigger and muzzle control when handling guns.
When I’m using a holster I will but when I’m using a bench or other rest, the safety never comes on.

minuteman32

Another solution to a problem that really isn’t there. But that is just my opinion. Been carrying a Glock for decades & never had an issue.

kingghidorah

Yeah, as long as you carry a Glock in a holster (or an empty tube =dumb). Personally, a Glock with one in the pipe floating around in my jacket pocket is a downright scary thought. I HATE holsters of all types, so I’ll take a real external safety for my carry gun.

Charlie Taylor

Wow, that really promotes a terrible firing grip.

Weldo

>> (preferring muzzle control and trigger finder control instead).

Really? So folks with safeties don’t? You probably don’t wear a seatbelt when you drive. Preferring steering control and right foot on accelerator control instead?

David Sharpe

If it’s just you on the road, then not wearing a seatbelt would be okay if you control your steering and accelerator properly.

You wear your seatbelt to protect yourself from morons on the road. You can bypass using the safety since it’s just you.

Next time, use an analogy that actually fits into the situation.

Giolli Joker

…until a moose crosses your road…

Cymond

I generally agree, my father emphasized that any device can fail and therefore not to rely on the mechanical safety. However, he also emphasized empty chambers (I grew up shooting bolt action rifles), so I have really conflicting thoughts & feelings about carrying with a round in the chamber.

On one hand, I don’t trust safeties and worry about forgetting to switch it off under stress. On the other hand, carrying a pistol with a round in the chamber and a short trigger pull that takes less that 6-pounds to release … that makes me nervous, too. I know, I know, good holsters that protect the trigger. I still feel like I’m balancing on the edge of a cliff.

jman

sounds like u should stop carrying a gun of any kind in public then, I wouldn’t wanna meet you on the street if your not concerdent in your equipment, and in your ability to use it maybe u should use a single six or the like, and not carry a loaded semi auto

Cymond

… or carry “Israeli style”
… or a double-action pistol
And for what it’s worth, my wife dragged us to Kalifornia.

Weldo

Never hit a patch of ice or sand or are you omnipotent? My analogy was spot on.

Turn off engine, modern vehicles are built with a dual piston master cylinder, you will never totally lose your brakes.

It will save you from 99.99% of things. That other bit would be an “act of God”

Steve (TFB Editor)

If I was alone in the vehicle and alone on a ranch I probably would not be wearing a seat belt, but I drive very cautiously.

Safeties may have the opposite effect when used by people who think they are 100% reliable. Research has shown that when ABS brakes were introduced, NYC taxi drivers started driving a lot more recklessly than before, because they had more trust in the improved brakes (thereby making the city less safe)

BryanS

My thumb is never in that place when handling a firearm…

That promotes a horrible grip and muscle memory, terrible for retention.

R Beck

With due respect, it has been a common practice for years that the thumb rides the hammer on DA pistols as they are being holstered. This is the same manual of arms in that respect. Using Sure-Darw while drawing the postal is optional.

BryanS

How many hammered pistols have been standard in departments in the current century? How many of them, with proper handling, need the hammer to be held?

This is a crutch for poor handling, and complicates a tool that you use when your life is in danger.

No disrespect taken, or intended in my reply.

terminalbrd

A fair number of agencies issue Sigs (several in my home state of Michigan, including the State Police).

None of them truly *need* the hammer to be held, but it is frequently used as a safeguard when reholstering for the very rare occurrence that something winds up inside of the trigger guard when reholstering (retention strap, for instance) and inadvertently fires the gun.

BryanS

Again.. a crutch for negligent firearm handling.

terminalbrd

Perhaps. But most agencies train their officers to reholster without taking their eyes off of the suspect. As a result, this “crutch” for so-called “negligent firearm handling” is in actuality an example of non-negligent handling. For their safety, the officers take precautions to prevent their gun from accidentally firing (i.e. making it impossible for the gun to fire by placing their thumb on the hammer) while they observe the suspect to ensure they are not a threat. I cannot tell you how many candidates were yelled at on the range for taking their eyes off of the target when reholstering.

Officers have two choices: 1) Take their eyes off of the suspect when reholstering to ensure the holster is clear of obstructions; or 2) Take affirmative action to prevent the weapon from firing should the holster be obstructed, while continuing to observe the suspect.

Frankly, I think option 2 is ultimately the safest for all involved.

Danmaku

The gun never comes out until its time to get serious, and then it never goes away until the threat is contained. That being said, you REALLY have to try to get a glock to accidentally fire, and usually any unintentional firing is due to poor safety that probably would have happened with any other firearm.

PatrickPM

I don’t get it

me ohmy

still placing bad handling over correct trigger finger not booger hooking the trigger

Vhyrus

This would actually stop some of the NDs the police have been having when holstering or unholstering. I have read of at least a few instances this would have been useful.

My only question is this: Lets say you’re holstering the gun with the button depressed, and something grabs the trigger. Now since you’re pressing the safety, it wont fire, but assuming you don’t notice the trigger is being pulled, will the gun fire the moment you release the button? Or is there something else going on to prevent that?

Benjamin Gerow

NDs happen when the trigger is pulled right?

Dennis Johnston

RIGHT!

Benjamin Gerow

All these clowns on here act as if it has something to do with the Glock, and not the operator who has depressed the trigger safety and pulled the trigger all the way back. Correct me if I’m wrong, but “keep your finger off the trigger until you intend to shoot” has very little to do with the gun and very much to do with the one using the gun, hence why its a universal gun safety rule.

Matt

nope. The ND’s are from a lack of training, and SERPA holsters.

JimmyHickey

I don’t see how you can say they are from a lack of training and in the same sentence criticise a SERPA holster. I agree fully with the training aspect however I do not believe a single holster can destroy someone ‘s training in a heart beat.
If you are trained correctly in a SERPA you should not have an ND from a SERPA holster. I never have, nor have the other men and women I shoot with weekly that use SERPA holsters, so how can a holster be the issue? The issue is that people are drawing from their SERPA holster incorrectly, this is not an issue with the holster.
If you have a look at the ND’s in my country you will see that ND’s happen no matter the holster and this is due to poor training.

BryanS

I would argue that the NDs are from a lack of training and them trying to reholster too quickly, not making sure you are free of obstructions… like a jacket cinch.

R Beck

You’re right on the mark. Sure draw is just another layer of protection for the user.

Sure-Draw

In this scenario, the weapon would NOT fire. It is why Sure-Draw was designed… Just as in this condition… Operators ( Especially LEO ) are focused on the threat when re-holstering the weapon to detain an individual. They probably are not going to be focused on checking their holsters. Nor should they really look down to do so (IMO). Another scenario, CCW carrier will go to re-holster as Police arrive at an incident. He probably will be more focused on watching the bad guy and not getting shot by the police. Press Sure-Draw and re-holster quickly without taking your eye off the threat or the police. It is not for everyone. Just as Glock is not for everyone. But we feel Sure-Draw has its place. Thanks for your interest!

R Beck

In this scenario, the weapon would NOT fire. It is why Sure-Draw was designed… Just as in this condition… Operators ( Especially LEO ) are focused on the threat when re-holstering the weapon to detain an individual. They probably are not going to be focused on checking their holsters. Nor should they really look down to do so (IMO). Another scenario, CCW carrier will go to re-holster as Police arrive at an incident. He probably will be more focused on watching the bad guy and not getting shot by the police. Press Sure-Draw and re-holster quickly without taking your eye off the threat or the police. It is not for everyone. Just as Glock is not for everyone. But we feel Sure-Draw has its place. Thanks for your interest!

2wheels

Interesting, this is similar to what some people are trained to do with hammer fired DA/SA handguns, place their thumbs on the rear of the hammer while reholstering to make sure that if the trigger is snagged while reholstering they’ll notice and the gun won’t fire.

Matt

Solution to a problem that does not exist.

kingghidorah

Solution to a problem that does exist. Glocks are dangerous carry guns without holsters (unless the pipe is empty).

http://thefirearmblog.com/blog/ Sam Cadle (Staff Writer, TFB)

Why would someone carrying without a holster anyway? I know there are those out there that will won’t, but really you should never carry a firearm without a good holster anyway.

kingghidorah

I’ve tried almost all styles and they all are a pain. Without wearing suspenders, they all pull your pants down on one side, unless of course you opt for the ridiculous bra (shoulder) holster or an in the pants holster digging into you while driving. I also have the tactical advantage of shooting through my jacket pocket if necessary.

Risky

If you’re the kinda person that could ND while reholstering a Glock, this stupid little tab isn’t going to help you. I mean, if you have enough acuity to think ‘let me push this button’ can’t you just leverage that mental dexterity to think ‘don’t touch the trigger’??? At least the company isn’t out to butt-rape with their price. I’ve seen even more pointless ‘tactical’ garbage being peddled for a hundred bucks, $50 extra for pretty colors.

MattInTheCouv

it’s just as much for grabbing your jacket with the trigger, or a strap from the holster on accident as you reholster as it is from having your finger on the trigger during holstering

sianmink

The price point is right, and it doesn’t permanently alter the gun. That said, I don’t see the point, and it’s one more moving part.

Egregious Charles

From the company website: “Sure-Draw is designed to help reduce the risk of accidental discharge when holstering your weapon should an obstruction inadvertently engage the trigger.” So it seems like everybody including Steve is missing the actual point of this thing; it’s not a general-purpose safety like a 1911 has. Maybe naming it Sure-DRAW, which implies it would be used while drawing, was a bad idea. It would be crap for that, you don’t want to draw a gun with your thumb on the back of the slide unless you need to cock it (which to me means buy a better gun).

I had a scare once when holstering a Glock in a concealed IWB holster and found that part of my undershirt had bunched in the holster; the cloth bunch could theoretically have rolled/squashed inside the trigger guard. I would find it a useful tool when holstering and not use it any other time; I’ll probably get them for my Glocks.

micko77

I haven’t read all of the comments, but of those I did read I saw nothing that mentions another problem: lawsuits from altering the safety mechanisms of a firearm. Bad enough for Joe Schmoe; worse for officers in big-budget departments. Reliance on an after-market safety while on the job sounds risky on its face.

Mike

Current NRA and other training has shooters putting the firing-hand thumb on the back of the pistol, right where this safety is, during reholstering. This allows the shooter to feel if the hammer is still back (on guns with an external hammer) and more importantly it biomechanically pulls the trigger finger up higher, further away from the trigger and trigger guard.

I’d have to see the results of some pretty rigorous testing before I’d add something like this to a pistol I owned for defensive purposes. I’d also need to know the answer to Vhyrus’s question above.

Sam

too much of a fiddly bit for service use, if you want a manual safety dont compromise on that.

AK™

I’m running a S&W SD9VE with a OWB holster. How I feel about striker fired guns..http://youtu.be/bTalnzcO0xk
In other words..don’t put your booger hook on the bang switch. It isn’t rocket science,but to some it might as well be.

My first pistol was a Rock Island Armory 1911 and remembering to use the thumb safety became muscle memory.
On my Ruger SR22,decocking it while holstering, became memory as well. Yes there’s a stronger DA pull after I draw..but I don’t mind. Whatever pistol I have on my person,I always remember how to operate it.

ArmasDeFuego

Safety is a combo of training and design; some guns and gunners are closer to the edge than others. Why we don’t all carry 1911s w no thumb safety, pinned grip safety, and a cut off trigger guard stuffed in our belt…

stoneridgetactical

http://www.stoneridgetactical.com
I am lead instructor and founder here. I’ve been carrying Glock for years. There is no problem yet identified that is worth this effort. Why all the hubbub over this thing? It’s personal choice! Don’t like it? Don’t get one on! Like it? Get one! Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?

I agree you don’t need this good training can be better never let your finger touch the trigger till after your draw. I only see NYPD licking this because they teach the opposite in training.

Hunter57dor

i already have a safety.

its already pre installed, on my right hand, with an awesome SECONDARY safety, directly between my ears.

sadly, not everyone comes issued with the secondary.

Justakid

I don’t follow. Are people’s Glocks going off without pulling the trigger? Keep your finger off the trigger!! Rule #1.

wes

Only a matter of time before someone has their thumb behind the slide and discharges a round. What were these engineers thinking ??

Maxx Traxx

Yeah break your thumb! why is it the people that complain the Glock has no safety and is
not safe. They even sell a block that fits behind the trigger to knock
out before shooting. I think the first thing I learned in gun safety at
7 was to keep my damn finger OFF the trigger till I was ready to fire!

http://thefirearmblog.com/blog/ Sam Cadle (Staff Writer, TFB)

My daily carry is a Sig P229… No safety there, just use your head. While some call DA a safety, because of the long, heavier trigger pull… The fact of the matter is booger hook off the bang switch. My secondary carry piece is a M&P40c, and I refused to buy the version with a thumb safety. Even with a striker pistol, be smart, keep your finger out of the trigger guard and you will be OK. Do things that are questionable, you get bad results and end up with holes in the floor.

vince

I think this is interesting and a pretty nice feature, but it is unnecessary because of glocks trigger safety already.

allannon

I’m pretty sure this is designed to counter the ND-inviting nature of SERPA holsters.

It’s an easy modification to one’s draw (since you just have to move your thumb to get ready to fire), a similarly simple to reholstering, and adds a layer of safety.

The biomechanical changes alone would be worthwhile (since it’ll pull your boogerpicker away from the bang switch), the safety is just a cherry on the cake.

And it’s optional anyway.

David Sharpe

“this is designed to counter the ND-inviting nature of SERPA holsters”

SERPAs are only “ND-inviting” if you’re dumb as a stump.

allannon

Only if “dumb as a stump” translates to “using as directed”.

The holster itself is a poor implementation of a mediocre idea.

David Sharpe

It’s used all over the world, if it’s “ND-inviting” why aren’t there shootings everyday?

I’ve used one for years, I’ve never had a ND with it.

Those who do, are dumb as stumps.

allannon

There probably are. Even without looking, I hear of another SERPA user NDing once or twice a month.

A quick search on Google turns up threads for the last several years–since the SERPA was released–of people running into exactly the problem of having pressure on the trigger finger while that finger is aligned with the trigger.

SERPAs are banned from many classes, police forces, matches. This is for good reason: they’re an inherently flawed product. Even the worst designed product will have some people without issues at all; back in the day, when Deere power supplies and FOXCONN motherboards were failing with a regularity approaching Big Ben’s ticking, I had a set that functioned flawlessly for nearly a decade. I never pretended that because I didn’t have an issue, there was no problem with them; I just didn’t use them for anything important.

And anything involving a firearm is important.

If they weren’t poorly designed, they wouldn’t have the reputation and list of problems they do.

David Sharpe

I’ve only heard of one, and that was TexGrubner shooting himself after training with another type of holster before.

My city and many other cities here use level 3 SERPAs and have had no NDs.

When you release the gun and pull it out from the holster your trigger figner should be along the trigger guard, anyone with normal sized hands would experience this.

Nate

If don’t want an external safety get a glock. If want an external safety then don’t get a glock. There isn’t really a huge need for this product.

scotchflavoredchewablevicoden

This is a horrible idea.

MOG

Old habits die hard, Fully loaded with external safety, my thumb would be searching for one if it was not there. Being left handed, left eye dominant, using right handed controls makes some people that have seen me draw and fire think I am doing a magic trick. It’s that move from right hand to left hand that throws them. It’s not a pitch and switch, have control of the pistol all the way. Safety is the responsibility of the operator in any case. Freedom of choice is wonderful.

Iblis

Keep your finger off the trigger when reholstering!! Problem solved.

julesvern4895

Steve, the so-called “safety” is an option on the M&P. Some departments may be guying them with “safeties,” but no one I know personally, that has an M&P, has a model with a safety. This product for the Glock is a stupid product, IMHO. If you want an external “safety” lever on your pistol, and you have a Glock, you bought the wrong pistol. Instead of hanging aftermarket crap on it, switch to something else if it bothers you.

jason_darrow

The Safe-draw mechanism (adds 6lbs of trigger pull to existing trigger) looks like it is 100x better than this crap.